Gold & Silver Dark Cave

A web of unlit passages connects several routes beneath the hills. Its timid Dunsparce burrow out of sight the moment any light reaches them.

Dark Cave is in Johto, with Route 45 to the east, Route 46 to the south, and Route 31 to the west. In the story it comes after Ice Path and before Blackthorn City.

DARK CAVE MAP

Dark Cave lives up to its name, pitch black end to end, so Flash is mandatory before you step in. One connected level joins the Route 31 and Route 45 mouths, with Surf for the inner ponds.

Pokemon Encounters

Dark Cave is the place to find Dunsparce, a burrowing oddity that turns up almost nowhere else in the region. Geodude and Zubat crowd the dark around it, with Wobbuffet waiting in the deeper rooms.

Method
Floor
Type
▾East13
Walking5
#074Geodude
30% - Lv 23
#041Zubat
30% - Lv 23
#075Graveler
20% - Lv 25
#202Wobbuffet
15% - Lv 20–25
#042Golbat
5% - Lv 23
Surf1
#129Magikarp
100% - Lv 5–19
Fish7
Old Rod2
#129Magikarp
85% - Lv 10
#118Goldeen
15% - Lv 10
Good Rod2
#118Goldeen
65% - Lv 20
#129Magikarp
35% - Lv 20
Super Rod3
#118Goldeen
70% - Lv 40
#129Magikarp
20% - Lv 40
#119Seaking
10% - Lv 40
▾West16
Walking6
#074Geodude
60% - Lv 2–4
#206Dunsparce
40% - Lv 2–4
During the Dunsparce swarm on Dark Cave that Hiker Anthony reports by phone; it lasts until the daily reset
#074Geodude
40% - Lv 2–3
During the Dunsparce swarm on Dark Cave that Hiker Anthony reports by phone; it lasts until the daily reset
#041Zubat
39% - Lv 2–4
#041Zubat
20% - Lv 2
During the Dunsparce swarm on Dark Cave that Hiker Anthony reports by phone; it lasts until the daily reset
#206Dunsparce
1% - Lv 4
Surf1
#129Magikarp
100% - Lv 5–19
Fish7
Old Rod2
#129Magikarp
85% - Lv 10
#118Goldeen
15% - Lv 10
Good Rod2
#118Goldeen
65% - Lv 20
#129Magikarp
35% - Lv 20
Super Rod3
#118Goldeen
70% - Lv 40
#129Magikarp
20% - Lv 40
#119Seaking
10% - Lv 40
Rock Smash2
#098Krabby
90% - Lv 15
#213Shuckle
10% - Lv 15
Magikarp
#129

Magikarp

Water
Evolves into Gyarados at Lv 20
Encounter rate
100% Common
Level
5–19
EV yield
1 Speed
Here on Dark CaveEastsurf100% spawn
1 in 1wild encounters
will be Magikarp — about 36s of surfing to catch one.
Catch odds
~54s
to catch one
Poke Ball34%
Great Ball34%
Ultra Ball34%
Nuzlocke
D
community tier
Score20
PickLottery
SourceEstimated
Shiny hunt
1/8,192
full odds
Base1/8,192
Expected40h 58m

Also found in 51 other locations

Blackthorn CityLv 5–40
100%Dragon's DenLv 10–40
100%Lake of RageLv 10–40
100%Route 45Lv 5–24
100%Route 43Lv 10–40
100%Fuchsia CityLv 10–40
100%Cherrygrove CityLv 10–20
85%Goldenrod CityLv 10–20
85%Ecruteak CityLv 10–40
85%Ilex ForestLv 10–40
85%Mt. MortarLv 10–40
85%New Bark TownLv 10–20
85%Cianwood CityLv 10–20
85%Route 30Lv 10–40
85%Route 31Lv 10–40
85%Route 34Lv 10–20
85%Olivine CityLv 10–20
85%Route 32Lv 5–40
85%Mt. SilverLv 10–40
85%Route 40Lv 10–20
85%Route 41Lv 10–20
85%Route 44Lv 10–40
85%Route 42Lv 10–40
85%Slowpoke WellLv 10–40
85%Ruins of AlphLv 10–40
85%Union CaveLv 10–40
85%Whirl IslandsLv 10–20
85%Violet CityLv 10–40
85%Route 35Lv 10–40
85%Cerulean CityLv 10–40
85%Cinnabar IslandLv 10–20
85%Route 21Lv 10–20
85%Route 22Lv 10–40
85%Route 19Lv 10–20
85%Route 20Lv 10–20
85%Pallet TownLv 10–20
85%Route 10Lv 10–40
85%Route 12Lv 10–40
85%Route 13Lv 10–40
85%Route 14Lv 10–20
85%Route 25Lv 10–40
85%Route 26Lv 10–20
85%Route 27Lv 10–20
85%Route 28Lv 10–40
85%Route 24Lv 10–40
85%Route 9Lv 10–40
85%Route 6Lv 10–40
85%Tohjo FallsLv 10–40
85%Viridian CityLv 10–40
85%Vermilion CityLv 10–20
85%Cerulean GymLv 10–20
85%
Magikarp page →

ITEMS

Dark Cave rewards a flashlight with TM13 Snore and a Black Glasses, the held item that sharpens Dark moves like the ones Murkrow and Houndour learn. Healing items and a hidden Elixir wait in the gloom.

Source
Floor
TM1
TM13 Snore
Blackthorn Entrance
Item ball5
Black Glasses
Full Heal
Violet Entrance
Hyper Potion
Violet Entrance
Potion
Violet Entrance
Revive
Blackthorn Entrance
Hidden1
Elixir
Violet Entrance
TM

TM13 Snore

Found on Blackthorn Entrance · Near the entrance separating the Route 45 side from the Route 31 side
Move
SnoreNormalPhysical
Power
40
Accuracy
100%
PP
15

Snore deals damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch (if the target has not yet moved).

TM1
TM

TM13 Snore

Found on Blackthorn Entrance · Near the entrance separating the Route 45 side from the Route 31 side
Move
SnoreNormalPhysical
Power
40
Accuracy
100%
PP
15

Snore deals damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch (if the target has not yet moved).

Item ball5
ITEM BALL

Black Glasses

From the man in the northwest corner of the Route 45 side (requires Surf)
Effect

Powers up dark-type moves. (HOLD)

ITEM BALL

Full Heal

Found on Violet Entrance · North of the Route 46 entrance (requires Rock Smash)
Effect

Eliminates all status problems.

ITEM BALL

Hyper Potion

Found on Violet Entrance · Directly north of the Route 46 entrance in the northeast corner (requires Rock Smash)
Effect

Restores Pokemon HP by 200.

ITEM BALL

Potion

Found on Violet Entrance · Near the exit to Route 31
Effect

Restores Pokemon HP by 20.

ITEM BALL

Revive

Found on Blackthorn Entrance · Southeast corner (requires Surf)
Effect

Restores a fainted Pokemon to 1/2 HP.

Hidden1
HIDDEN

Elixir

Found on Violet Entrance · In the northernmost area of the Route 31 side, at the end of a short dead-end path (requires Rock Smash) (hidden)
Effect

Restores PP of all moves by 10.

Dark Cave Guide

  • Dunsparce is the draw. The shy Normal type barely appears anywhere else and shows up here at a low rate, so expect a hunt. Bring Flash for the dark, and a Surfer can reach a tucked-away Black Glasses on the far side.

  • You're missing the badge that switches it on. Flash only lights the field once you hold the Zephyr Badge from Falkner, even after you pick up the move itself as HM05 from the elder atop Sprout Tower. Several caves call for it: Dark Cave, Kanto's Rock Tunnel, Mt. Mortar, the Whirl Islands, and the inside of Mt. Silver are all pitch black enough to leave you fumbling without it.

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